Former Irish Featherweight Champion Barry McGuigan gave
interview for the British media.
In a conversation with a reporter, the legendary Irish boxer commented on the rematch between the unified heavyweight champion (over 90.7 kg) from Ukraine Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) and former British champion Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs). Also, the ex-champion gave his advice to Joshua to continue a successful professional career.
I want to hear your opinion on the Joshua vs Usyk rematch. People have different opinions on this fight. Some say it’s a close fight, some don’t. First of all, how did you score the fight?
– 8-4. I have 8-4 in favor of Usyk. There were close rounds. It was Joshua’s better performance and he threw better combinations, more body shots. He didn’t throw enough punches, he didn’t fight aggressively enough, but you also have to take into account that after the Ruiz fight, he doesn’t have the same fighting confidence. On all counts. It somehow affected him. I know how it is. It affects your confidence, it affects your ability, in punches and distance, but still, he needed to fight more aggressively this time, to fight Usyk. He didn’t do it convincingly. He didn’t do it well enough. I know he can do better.
I don’t write it off. He is only 32 years old. He needs to take a small step back, catch his breath, take a couple of months off. Not from training, but from boxing. And then have a couple of fights in a row. We need to downshift the opposition a bit, just stay active until the situation between Usyk and Tyson Fury is resolved. It will probably take about 8-10 months for this to be resolved.
Joshua needs to rest a little, give his head a rest, sort out his team, get rid of the kind of freeloaders kissing his ass. They are full. Collect them all in a goddamn bag and throw them away! Leave half the most important people on the team and that will be enough. And go along with them. We need to go back to the basics. He has always been a puncher. He could always do well. I know his confidence was shaken after the fight with Ruiz, but come back. Sparring with good qualified opposition, picking easier opponents even if you can take them out will give you some confidence again. Whether he fights Usyk or Tyson Fury, he has to be aggressive.
- Joshua decided to defeat Usyk at least in this: photo
What about endurance. After 9-10 rounds, he seems to be exhausted. Does he need to improve this because it can affect him in any fight?
I don’t think stamina is a problem. When someone is smaller, more evasive and at the same time strong, like Usyk, it is impossible to hit him with more than one blow at a time. You will never see three ground strikes on these fighters because they are hard to land. He moves, he has great footwork, he moves his upper body really well, he constantly comes in and out of range to seduce you, tease you. He is a very difficult fighter to box with. And it’s hard to look good against that one, and it’s hard to hit him with more than one punch, maybe two. Usyk is an amazing fighter.
It will be interesting to see how things play out, but Joshua needs to go back to basics, be more aggressive, be active – take a break from boxing, come back after Christmas and get a couple of fights. Wait for Usyk and Tyson – and go against the winner.
What do you think of Joshua’s behavior after the fight and do you think he should stay with Robert Garcia?
– He is a human. There was a bit of bile, he lost his temper, acted like a child. He didn’t have to throw the belts on the floor, and he didn’t have to spit on them. It was low. Shouldn’t have done it, but he knows it. None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes. He’s not perfect, he’s not Mr. Nice Guy, he just can’t be. And you don’t have to try to be. Be who you are, be honest. I do not blame him for this, I will not scold him. There is a lot of pressure on him, but he needs to get rid of people who agree. We need to get rid of the guys who tell him what he wants to hear. He needs people who tell him the truth.
Stay with Garcia. Garcia is a very good coach. Look at his record with fighters. But he doesn’t need to work with mediocrities. I mean, he can stand on his paws with them, but there has to be the main person in the corner. Since you’ve hired Garcia, use him properly because he’s a very good coach and he can get the job done.
- “Get your ass in the hall!” Timothy Bradley on Usyk, Fury and Joshua
